The first basket has yet to be made, but that hasn’t stopped the 2017-18 boys basketball season from becoming a historic year.

In May, the MPSSAA announced that Maryland, a state that did not run a shot clock for boys basketball, would finally be adding the tool designed to make games more fair. Girls basketball has had a 30-second shot clock for the past three decades.

Once the season begins, a 35-second shot clock will be in place for high school teams throughout the state. An additional change was made for both girls and boys basketball, adding a running clock if a team leads by 35 points or more.

With the season serving as the inaugural year for the change, DelmarvaNow polled coaches throughout the Bayside Conference asking how they would embrace the newly added shot clock.

Note: Some coaches were unavailable for comment

BJ Johnson (Stephen Decatur)

I think it’s a good for our conference. Especially now that colleges use shot clocks, I think it helps prepare kids for the next level.

A lot of teams in our conference are running teams, so it won’t affect them too much, but I think a lot of coaches will have to coach different to slow down and manage the shot clock.

Overall, I think it’s a plus for our conference and long overdue. They’re just now trying to catch up with the rest of the states and everyone else who uses it. I don’t think it will change anything I do. We’re an up and down team, so I don’t think it changes our strategy. I think it will affect a lot of teams down the stretch of games, but not too early in them.

Every year that comes up I vote against it. I’m shocked 90 percent of the coaches voted for it. I don’t want someone to dictate how I play the game.

When we played Decatur last year, we spread the floor and got to the fourth quarter in a low-scoring game. Now we can’t do that — we have to shoot within 35 seconds. I’m against it, but it’s something we’re going to have to deal with. You’re going to hear a lot of coaches yelling, "Shoot! Shoot!" and it’s hard enough to get kids to pay attention to the clock, now we have to pay attention to the game clock and shot clock.

It’s going to be new to us and the officials … it could be a nightmare. I was watching a college game the other night, and every time they stopped the game it had to do with the shot clock. It’s going to be a learning curve, but we’ll deal with it. We’re going to have to, because they won’t change the rule because Butch Waller doesn’t like it.

It is what it is, but it won’t affect my team because we’re up tempo, and most teams are, but it takes away some slowdown strategy and that’s a coach’s option, so I’m against it.

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Wi-Hi coach Butch Waller hoists the 2A state title trophy in the air at Cole Field House.(Photo: Daily Times file photo, 2002, Joey Gardner)

Danny Lamb (Washington)

I do not think that the addition of the shot clock will greatly affect things in our league. The "stalling" strategy isn't commonly used in the Bayside Conference. It is more common with teams from across the bridge.

The shot clock allows for a more exciting basketball game. Thirty-five seconds still allows a team to run an effective offense and prepares future college players to play at the next level.

I actually think it’s a good thing. I think it’s great for the kids in this area to play for a shot clock.

When it comes to high school basketball, it helps them to prepare for college basketball for those kids wanting to play at that level. I know for me, coming out of high school, we played under a shot clock and that helped me adjust and play for the college level. I feel it’s a hard situation for kids playing without a shot clock and then jumping in and playing for a shot clock. I think it’s going to prepare the kids for the next level and also help the coaching around here.

I’m not sure why some people have a problem with it; possibly because it’s the first year, and there’s always going to be hiccups and some errors during the season. It may have to change up some coaches’ style, but I’m definitely for it because I’ve played with it. It’s not going to affect my style.

We weren’t a team that held the ball last year anyway. We played up-tempo, and I think the hardest part is probably trying to practice with the shot clock, but it won’t affect my coaching style.

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Andre Collins talks to his players during a timeout on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 in Salisbury.(Photo: staff photo by Mitchell Northam)

Matt Mayette (Mardela)

I think shot clocks are important all across high school basketball.

Coming from a smaller school, numbers aren’t as big as other schools, and we don’t have the talent other schools have.

My philosophy is stay in the game by shortening it, controlling the tempo and have longer possessions, so I think it’s going to hurt us a little at Mardela because with a shot clock, we can’t control the tempo, but as a coach I’m for a shot clock.

The game of basketball isn’t to possess the ball or delay the game or extend a possession, the object is to score, and that’s what we’re out there for. It’s not really the overall objective to basketball, but we need to have one because kids need to learn how to play the game — that’s more my coaching philosophy.

I would love to teach the kids how to use the shot clock, but we’re going to use it wisely. We’ve put some steps in if the shot clock gets low, and we can go to some quick hitter that will get a shot up for us, so I think it’s going to work in our advantage because we’re building basketball intelligence.

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Matthew Mayette is the new boys' varsity basketball coach at Mardela High School.(Photo: Staff Photo by Richard Pollitt)

Byron Arenella (Snow Hill)

Truthfully, I don’t think it will change the game too much.

Most teams are fast-paced with a lot of speed. The fact that it’s a 35-second clock, I don’t think it will really affect anything. People who are hoping to continue basketball after high school…they should have experience with a shot clock. It forces you to press the issue opposed to being patient. It could turn good shots into great shots.

There will definitely be things we have to tweak as far as end of game situations, and it can help or hurt you depending on if you’re winning or losing. Some of the kids are still figuring out the rules, so there’s going to be some growing pains for us as players, coaches and teams.

We’ll see if it’s better, it’s hard to say right now. I have no experience with a high school shot clock playing in Pennsylvania and coaching in Maryland. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the game, but I don’t think change is a bad thing, but I’ll have a better answer on how I feel about it in four months.

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(Photo: Megan Raymond photo)

Dave Arnold (Crisfield)

I think a new thing that speeds the game up and allows more offensive flow is going to be great. There are players who want to play at the next level, and I think it’s going to help them get accustomed. I’m all for speeding up the game.

The game is going to be quicker and provide more offensive opportunities, and that’s what kids want to do and what people want to see. Put the ball in the bucket – that is the point of basketball.

It’s new, and once it gets integrated, I think everybody’s going to like it and it will become more natural. It will affect late game situations as far as if you’re up by a couple of points or down by a couple. We like to get up and down the floor fast, because we’re trying to slow it down. We have to address the shot clock of course, but I don’t think it’s affecting the way we attack.